The present invention relates to the field of portable computers systems. Specifically, the present invention discloses a systems for synchronizing an email client on a portable computer system with an email client on a desktop computer system.
Personal computer systems have become common tools in modern society. One of the most important uses for personal computers is electronic mail (email). Personal computer users use email to send notes and computer files to other computer users.
Many personal computer users also use small portable palmtop computer systems such that the personal computer user can carry important personal information. To store the important personal information, palmtop computer systems usually provide Personal Information Management (PIM) applications such as an address book, a daily organizer, and a To-Do list applications.
In addition to the Personal Information Management (PIM) applications, it would be desirable to have an email application on the palmtop computer system. The email application would allow the user to send and receive email messages using the palmtop computer system.
Although an email application on palmtop computer system would be very useful, such an application can create problems. For example, would incoming email arrive on the desktop personal computer system, the portable computer system or both? Furthermore, if the user deleted an email message on one of the two computer systems, should that email message appear on the other computer system? Thus, it would be desirable to have an email application for a palmtop computer system that is completely in synchronization with an email application on a desktop personal computer system.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a palmtop computer system that is fully integrated with common email systems used by desktop personal computers. To accomplish this goal, the present invention introduces an email client for the portable computer system and an email synchronization conduit for a desktop personal computer system.
The email client for the portable computer system allows the user to view incoming email messages. The email client on the portable computer system also allows the user to compose outgoing email messages.
The email synchronization conduit on the desktop personal computer system is responsible for synchronizing the state of the portable computer email client with an email client on a personal computer system. After a synchronization event, the email synchronization conduit ensures that the email state on the portable computer system exactly matches the email state on the desktop personal computer system. For example, if an email message is deleted on email client of the portable computer system then a matching copy of that email message will be deleted from the desktop personal computer system. Similarly, if an email message is deleted on the email client of the desktop personal computer system then that email message will be deleted from the portable computer system. By keeping the email state of the two different computer systems in exact synchronization, the user can switch between the email client on the portable computer system and the email client on the desktop personal computer system without missing a message or reading a redundant message.